


People We Fight For

by voodoobuddha



Category: Dragon Age - All Media Types
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-05-31
Updated: 2013-05-31
Packaged: 2017-12-13 12:54:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 598
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/824523
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/voodoobuddha/pseuds/voodoobuddha
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Spoilers for Dragon Age: The Calling and Asunder. </p>
<p>Warden!Alistair chooses to stand by Neria Surana and they head to Andoral's Reach to fight for his mage wife's freedom. There he discovers more than he ever wanted to know about Grand Enchanter Fiona. </p>
<p>Short chapters as I work on The Games We Play.</p>
            </blockquote>





	People We Fight For

The world is falling down around their ears and Alistair thinks that perhaps it always had been, that maybe the world _wants_ to throw itself apart. He is surprisingly fine with that. He and Neria had already saved it once but if the world is determined to see itself destroyed he isn't going to try to do it again. The world can sod itself this time. He's going to protect his wife.

He waits until night has fully fallen before turning the stolen nag and Black Maria off the Imperial Highway. They could probably make their way to the next village before midnight but he knows that he would have to leave her alone and caged out in the streets while he rents a room. Their guise would demand it.

He turns in his seat to look at her through the thick iron bars. The bruise along her jaw has faded to a sickly yellow and he knows that soon she will take up one of his gauntlets again and slam it into her own face before forcing him to grab her arms and legs too tight. Alistair hates the bruises, hates the blood that dries on her face, hates that he is forced to inflict pain on the woman he loves, but he sees the necessity. If they are going to play the Templar and the Apostate to escape they are going to have to do it right.

"Water?" he asks but she's already spit out her gag and shaken loose of the manacles to reach for the canteen beside him. He watches as she takes a long pull off the skin and it makes him sick, knowing it's the first drink she has had since that morning.

She gasps for breath between gulping water but she smiles at him as she does. The smile looks ghastly as it stretches the skin across her too thin face but still it gives him hope. Despite the desperation of the last few months Neria perseveres and as long as she does he will too. Alistair smiles back and tries to ignore the way her lips have dried and cracked.

He steps down from the carriage and begins to remove the Templar armor they'd traded a lyrium potion for outside Orzammar while she unlocks her cage.

"Alistair?" she says from behind a tree and he starts to hum softly. His smile is much more genuine this time. Almost ten years they've been married and she's still pee shy. He shakes his head and unloads their bedrolls.

When she returns he's unarmored and lounging on their large bedroll under the carriage, eyes closed and still humming. He smiles as she approaches and for a moment she wishes that he couldn't feel the taint in her blood if only so she can sneak up and pounce on him in moments like this. Instead, she sidles in next to him, kisses him briefly, and says, "We're too close to the village. I'm going to have to sleep in the cage tonight."

Alistair frowns and opens his eyes to look at her but he doesn't argue. Soon they'll reach Val Foret where they'll turn off the highway and head into the Nahashin Marshes. It won't be easy, but it's the best plan they have for reaching Andoral's Reach safely.

He holds her close and kisses her softly, mindful of the deep crack that scars her bottom lip, before he presses her to take the blanket. He can taste her blood on his mouth but he doesn't wipe it away as she crawls from him.


End file.
